UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date:___________________ I, _________________________________________________________, hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: in: It is entitled: This work and its defense approved by: Chair: _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ S u p p o r t i v e C o m m u n i t y H o u s i n g addressing the emergence of non-traditional households A thesis submitted to the University of Cincinnati Division of Research and Advanced Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture in the School of Architecture and Interior Design College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning Submitted March 14, 2005 by Steven Phillip Albert B.S. Arch., University of Cincinnati, 2003 Committee Chairs: Robert Burnham Gordon Simmons Michaele Pride-Wells a b s t r a c t Supportive Community Housing | Addressing the emergence of non-traditional households presents a study of housing options for non-traditional families in America with the goal of providing appropriate model housing solutions for these often overlooked groups. This study examines how the traditional notions of the American Dream have failed non-traditional households and presents a set of principles to better address the needs of these groups. These principles generate specific design guidelines for an urban housing design proposal on a site in the Hill District neighborhood of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. By following the design principles and guidelines, the proposal presents a housing development suited to the site, neighborhood, community, and residents. As there are many potential ways of providing housing for non-traditional households, the design proposal functions as a case study for implementing the ideas explored within this thesis to create more appropriate housing communities. Supportive Community Housing | addressing the emergence of non-traditional households Supportive Community Housing | addressing the emergence of non-traditional households a c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s Over the course of the past six years at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Architecture and Interior Design, I have built lasting personal and professional relationships that have allowed me to grow as a person and as a designer. My travels allowed frequent stops at home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where my parents Ann and Bob Albert re-fueled and re-fed me, all the while reminding me that through hard work and determination, I could achieve my goals. I traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, and Butler, Pennsylvania, for co-ops with Ayers Saint Gross and Burt Hill Kosar Rittelman Associates, whom I would like to thank for their support of my professional aspirations. In the fall of 2002, an inspiring trip to the Ecosa Insitute in Prescott, Arizona, changed my life forever. With Antony Brown, Rob Israel, and my fellow Ecosans, we learned about environmentally responsible design, ancient Southwest cultures, and most importantly, ourselves. Under the crispness of an Arizona night sky I realized the love of my life, my best friend and fiancée, Rachel. Thank you for always supporting and believing in me and for keeping me calm. In the spring of 2004, I returned home to Perfido Weiskopf Architects for my final co-op. I would like to thank Alan Weiskopf, Sheldon Goettel, and Jan Irvin for their support and encouragement. My education and my travels came full circle when I returned to Cincinnati to begin my thesis. I would like to thank Bob Burnham, Gordon Simmons and Michaele Pride-Wells, my thesis committee, for their wisdom, advice, and encouragement. I would also like to thank Louise Sturgess, Al Tannler, and the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation for providing me with historical information about the Hill District and for the foundation’s support of my education with the Landmarks Scholarship. For assistance in site selection, I would like to thank Andrea Wright-Banks, Executive Director of the Hill CDC. I also thank my brother Brian, for reminding me of the power of perseverance both in my work and in the Pittsburgh Steelers. Finally, I would like to thank the M.Arch Class of 2005, especially Jennie Stegeman, Brandon Kelly, Kevin Schreur, Nicola D’souza, and Jennie Cloud for their friendship, advice, and support throughout the past six years. As I prepare to return home once again, I leave Cincinnati a changed person, ready to begin my career and my life with Rachel, never forgetting those who have helped me along the way. Supportive Community Housing | addressing the emergence of non-traditional households t a b l e o f c o n t e n t s introduction 8 thesis 11 one Traditional Housing vs. Non-Traditional Households 12 Assessment of the Current Situation 12 Developing New Housing Forms 15 two One Size Does Not Fit All: A closer Look at Demographics and Housing 17 Housing Policy 18 Precedent | Crawford Square. 19 Demographics 21 Housing and Income 24 three Non-traditional Family Structures, Roles, and Needs 26 Single Parent Households 27 Precedent | Warren Village 31 Inter-generational Households 33 Elderly Households with Children 34 Precedent | Willowbrook Green 36 four What is Supportive Community Housing? 40 Advantages 41 Precedents 43 Cohousing | Winslow Cohousing 44 Dayton Court | New American House Competition, 1984 47 Supportive Community Housing | addressing the emergence of non-traditional households 1 five Design Principles and Guidelines 50 The Housing Unit 50 Common Space and Common Buildings 52 Private and Semi-Private Outdoor Space 55 Consideration of Zones of Use 57 Precedent | Chatham Village 59 site 62 site context 63 six Housing Demographics in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 64 Background 64 Demographics and Housing Statistics 65 seven Neighborhood: Hill District 68 History and Context 68 The Hill District and the Middle Hill Today 73 eight Site Descriptions, Documentation, and Analysis 77 Site Descriptions 78 Site Analysis 79 Additional Site Images 84 project 87 nine Project Brief and Program 88 Project Brief 88 Program 90 bibliography 95 99 appendix Supportive Community Housing | addressing the emergence of non-traditional households 2 i m a g e r e s o u r c e s FIGURES 2.3 Crawford Square Townhouses. From Crawford Chapter 1 Square. 6 February 2005. 1.1 Typical Postwar house with homeowner, wife and <www.designadvisor.org> children. Levittown, New York. From Hayden p. 24. Photograph by Bernard Hoffman, LIFE 2.4 The Civic Arena. Photo by author. Magazine, 1950. 2.5 Crawford Square green space. Photo by author. 1.2 Contemporary Suburban Development, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photo by author. 2.6 Crawford Square parking courts. From Crawford Square. 6 February 2005. 1.3 Nina West Homes London, England Examples of <www.designadvisor.org> housing for single parent families with on-site child care. From Hayden p. 135. Axonometric, 2.7 “Living Arrangements of Children under 18 Years Sylvester Boone, Architect, 1972 Old: 1960 to Present,” Census data comparisons from “Living Arrangements of Children under 1.4 Willowbrook Green, Los Angeles, California. 18Years Old: 1960 to Present.” 1960 – 1998. US Housing development for low income households Census Bureau, 1 November 2004 including a variety of non-traditional household <http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/ms- types. From Ahrentzen and Franck p. 152. la/tabch-1.txt >. Axonometric, Ena Dubnoff, Architect. Chapter 3 Chapter 2 3.1 Exterior view of Warren Village. From 2.1 Public Housing Tower in East Liberty Warren Village, 6 February 2005 neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photo <http://www.warrenvillage.org>. by author. 3.2 Exterior view of Willowbrook Green. From 2.2 Crawford Square, Hill District, Pittsburgh, Willowbrook Green. 6 February 2005. Pennsylvania. Mixed income housing with <www.designadvisor.org>. Ena Dubnoff, Downtown Pittsburgh in the background. From Architect. Crawford Square. 6 February 2005. <www.designadvisor.org> Supportive Community Housing | addressing the emergence of non-traditional households 3 3.3 Willobrook Green playground spaces. From 4.4 Axonometric New American House Competition. Willowbrook Green. 6 February 2005. First Place Entry Jacqueline Leavitt & Troy West <www.designadvisor.org>. From A New American House. Architectural Design Competition 1984, Catalogue of Winning 3.4 Site Plan of Willowbrook Green. From and Selected Designs. Ahrentzen and Franck p. 152. 4.5 Typical Ground Floor Plan New American House 3.5 Security Gates. From Willowbrook Green. Competition. First Place Entry Jacqueline Leavitt 6 February 2005. <www.designadvisor.org>. & Troy West From “Two Prototypical Designs for Single Parents.” In New Households New 3.6 Exterior view of Willowbrook Green Site Design. Housing. p. 181. From Willowbrook Green. 6 February 2005. <www.designadvisor.org>. 4.6 Possible Unit Configurations New American House Competition. First Place Entry Jacqueline 3.7 Typical unit floor plan at Willowbrook Green. From Leavitt & Troy West From “Two Prototypical Willowbrook Green. 6 February 2005. Designs for Single Parents.” In New Households <www.designadvisor.org>. New Housing. p. 176. 3.8 Site Section of Willowbrook Green. From 4.7 Revised Site Plan New American House Willowbrook Green. 6 February 2005. Competition. First Place Entry Jacqueline Leavitt <www.designadvisor.org>. & Troy West From “Two Prototypical Designs for Single Parents.” In New Households New Housing. p. 177. Chapter 4 4.1 Winslow Cohousing From Winslow Cohousing Chapter 5 Group. 6 February 2005. <www.winslowcohousing.org>. Edward 5.1 Life Cycle Cluster Diagram. By author. Weinstein Associates, Architect. 5.2 Locally Accepted Materials. Photo by author. 4.2 Winslow Cohousing Site Plan. From Fromm p. 94. 5.3 Sub Unit Identity. Willowbrook Green. From Willowbrook Green. 6 February 2005. 4.3 Winslow Cohousing Common House Ground <www.designadvisor.org>. Floor Plan. From Fromm p. 96. 5.4 Group Territory. From Cooper-Marcus and Sarkissan. Illustration by Elizabeth Drake. Supportive Community Housing | addressing the emergence of non-traditional households 4 5.5 Buffer Zone Diagram.